Chinese travelers say new restrictions are 'unfair' — but they're angrier at some countries than others

Travel restrictions launched in the aftermath of China's borderline reopening whitethorn be affecting wherever radical determination are booking trips.

But it's not retired of spite, said respective Chinese travelers who spoke to CNBC.

It's due to the fact that immoderate countries aren't letting them in, they said.

Reactions from Chinese travelers who spoke to CNBC were varied, ranging from indifference to disorder to anger.

"Of course, I deliberation it's unfair," said 1 citizen, who asked to beryllium called Bonnie. "But astatine the aforesaid time, we recognize what's going on."

So far, much than a twelve countries person announced new rules for travelers departing from China. Last week, the European Union recommended that its members necessitate Chinese travelers to instrumentality Covid tests earlier entering.

But Covid tests aren't the problem, Shaun Rein, managing manager of China Market Research Group, told "Squawk Box Asia" connected Monday. It's that "these policies are directed lone towards mainland Chinese," helium said.

South African Mansoor Mohamed, who lives successful China, agreed. "It is comparatively casual and inexpensive to bash a Covid trial successful China, truthful it volition not impact my question planning," helium said.

"However, I cognize that galore patriotic Chinese colleagues and friends volition debar those countries for present due to the fact that the signifier of lone investigating passengers arriving from China is discriminatory," helium said.

Of course, China requires travelers to trial antagonistic earlier entering China, and has for 3 years.

The difference, Mohamed said, is that "every accomplishment [to China], including Chinese nationals … [is] subjected to the aforesaid rules."

Gao Dan told CNBC she is readying to question retired of the state of Qinghai for the archetypal clip successful much than 2 years. But she said she's staying successful China, adding that she "hasn't looked into what different countries' question policies are," according to a CNBC translation.

Others are booking trips abroad, but immoderate not to their first-choice destinations — namely Japan and South Korea.

"When China said they were opening the borders successful January, each my friends said they're going to Japan and Korea," said Bonnie.

But they couldn't get visas, she said. "So they are present going to Thailand."   

Rein said Chinese travelers are present headed to Singapore and Thailand due to the fact that "both countries are welcoming us."

Of the apical destinations Chinese nationals searched aft the borderline reopening announcement, those are the lone 2 that haven't imposed caller restrictions connected incoming Chinese travelers.

Data shows hunt involvement for outbound flights from mainland China roseate by 83% successful the 11 days aft the announcement, compared with the 14 days earlier it, according to information from Trip.com Group.

During this period, hunt involvement for Thailand and Singapore grew by 176% and 93%, respectively, according to the company.

Chinese officials called the rules from South Korea and others "excessive" and "discriminatory."

But South Korea refutes claims of discrimination. Seung-ho Choi, a lawman manager astatine the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency, pointed retired to CNBC that the country's rules use to "Korean nationals and non-Korean nationals coming from China. ... There is nary favoritism for nationality successful this measure."

"China's Covid concern is inactive worsening," helium said. The fig of radical traveling from China to Korea who tested affirmative for Covid-19 went up 14 times from November to December, helium said.

The Prime Minister's Office of Japan did not respond to CNBC's petition for comment. A typical astatine Japan's Embassy successful Singapore told CNBC that Japan is processing Chinese question visa requests arsenic usual.

Citing a discrepancy successful corruption accusation from China, Japan Prime Minister Fumio Kishida told reporters connected Dec. 27: "In bid to debar a crisp summation successful the influx of caller cases into the country, we are focusing efforts connected introduction inspections and airports," according to an nonfiction published by Nikkei Asia.

Both Japan and South Korea person taken blimpish stances toward the Covid pandemic.

Japan, successful particular, has been sluggish to bounce backmost to pre-pandemic life, with residents showing little enthusiasm erstwhile its ain borderline afloat reopened successful October 2022.  

Rein told "Squawk Box Asia" that the rules are not conscionable astir tourism.

"This is simply a governmental issue," helium said, adding that helium expects Japanese stocks to beryllium affected, singling retired 2 cosmetics names.

"I would beryllium cautious connected Shiseido. I'd beryllium cautious connected Kose, due to the fact that determination are going to beryllium immoderate boycotts," helium said. Shares of Kose were little connected the Tokyo banal speech connected Tuesday, but Shiseido was higher.

Rein said animosity toward South Korea and Japan volition beryllium short-lived.

"It'll instrumentality astir 3 months for the choler to dissipate," helium said. "There's going to beryllium monolithic revenge question extracurricular to Korea to Japan — if those 2 countries dainty Chinese properly."

New Zealander Darren Straker, who lives and works successful Shanghai, said he, too, believes the policies are politically motivated, calling them a "last bittersweet gasp [as] the Covid geopolitical doorway closes."

But Choi said that, successful his idiosyncratic view, South Korea's measures "are not related to politics," adding that "We spot the highest precedence connected the wellness and information of radical residing successful South Korea."